Fire at French battery recycling plant under control

PARIS (Reuters) -A fire at a battery recycling plant in southern France is under control, though burning, the local firefighters service said on Monday, two days after the blaze began.

The fire broke out in a warehouse containing 900 metric tons of lithium batteries owned by recycling group SNAM in Viviez, north of Toulouse, local councillor Pascal Mazet said in a statement on X.

The fire was contained on Sunday, the prefecture said. A team of five firefighters remained on site on Monday, a spokesperson for the firefighters said.

French media showed thick smoke over the Viviez site at the weekend but firefighters and local officials said there were no indications of dangerous air pollution.

Lithium batteries are essential to electrical devices from phones to electric cars. However, they contain combustible materials which, combined with the energy they store, can make them vulnerable to catching fire when exposed to heat, potentially leading to the release of toxic materials.

SNAM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.